Mendocino County Supervisors seek to adopt Styrofoam ban

Styrofoam food and drink containers may become a thing of the past if the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors adopt a new resolution on Tuesday.

On July 8, the supervisors will introduce local ordinance Chapter 9.42 to Title 9 of the Mendocino County Code entitled, 'Disposable Food Ware.' The ordinance was put on the agenda by Supervisors Dan Gjerde and John McCowen.

Food providers would also be prohibited from using polystyrene foam in county facilities, including those who are under a county contract or lease, according to the proposal.

Styrofoam, or polystyrene foam, is not biodegradable and is not readily recyclable or returnable, according to the proposed request. The supervisors hope by banning the product there will be less environmental impact on Mendocino County.

Styrofoam frequently becomes litter because generally it has a one time usage life, meaning people eat their food out of it, throw it in the trash or onto the street and the Styrofoam can add to the visual eyesore of pollution including entering waterways where it harms living species, according to the proposal.

According to the staff report given to supervisors, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency believes that polystyrene foam can have serious impacts on human health, wildlife, the aquatic environment and economy and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims there is medical evidence to suggest that styrene, a primary component of polystyrene foam, can contaminate polystyrene foam containers used for food and drink.

The sponsoring supervisors believe it's in the best interest of the county to regulate disposable food ware considering there is no current statewide ban in place. Essentially, the decision for such regulation is up to each of California's individual counties or local jurisdictions.

Currently, 81 state jurisdictions have adopted local ordinances either banning or restricting the use of polystyrene foam, according to a report by Michael Sweeney, general manager for the Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority who is urging the supervisors to act.

The regulation of disposable food ware as proposed, promotes the general health and welfare of the public by reducing the amount of waste, litter and marine pollution that are attributable to disposable food ware.

The Mendocino County Environmental Health director or designee, will be responsible for enforcing this new resolution if passed. A written warning will be issued for the first violation, a maximum fine of $100 for the second violation within one year of the first warning, and a $5,000 for any violation thereafter, according to the ordinance proposal.

This new ordinance would go into effect 180 days after the final adoption.

The supervisors will meet at the Mendocino County Administration Center Tuesday at 9 a.m.